Taxonomic Revision, Morphology and Natural History of the Stick Insect Genus Xerosoma Serville, 1831 (Insecta: Phasmatodea).

Stick insects (Phasmatodea) are quite diverse in the Neotropical region. Among them, Xerosoma Serville belongs to Pseudophasmatidae and comprises winged, roughly brownish phasmids that resemble bark or dry branches and inhabit the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. In this study, we present a redescription and revision of the genus that include three valid species, Xerosoma canaliculatum, Xerosoma michaelis, and Xerosoma nannospinus sp. nov. Xerosoma senticosum syn. nov. was found to be a junior synonym of X. canaliculatum. We also provide an identification key and geographic records for these three species. Additionally, we present a detailed study on the morphology and natural history of X. canaliculatum with the description of its nymphal stages, egg, male genitalia, ontogeny, oviposition method, life habits, defense mechanisms, mating behavior, and other aspects regarding its biology. The study also highlights the shortcomings related to the classification of Xerosomatinae, since its tribes find themselves without proper characterization and contain heterogeneous genera. We expect to provide a basis for a proper diagnosis of Xerosomatinae and encourage future studies on this group, as there is still much to be discovered about this lineage of Neotropical stick insects.

Revision of the Neotropical stick insect genus Ocnophila (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae) with a new species from Colombia.

The genus Ocnophila Brunner, 1907 is here redescribed with an emended diagnosis, containing three valid species from Venezuela and Colombia: Ocnophila integra Brunner, 1907 with Ocnophila signatior Brunner, 1907 syn. nov. as a new junior synonym, Ocnophila iphicla (Westwood, 1859) and Ocnophila serrata sp. nov. In addition to the description of the new species we redescribe O. integra and O. iphicla, also providing a description of the male genitalia for O. integra. For the other species previously contained in the genus, we synonymize Ocnophila brevifemur Brunner, 1907 syn. nov. and Ocnophila armata Brunner, 1907 syn. nov. under Pygirhynchus bispinosus (Redtenbacher, 1906), Ocnophila inaequalis Brunner, 1907 syn. nov. under Libethra venezuelica Brunner, 1907, and transfer the remaining species to other genera, resulting in the following new combinations: Agamemnon illegitimus (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., A. poeyi (Bolívar, 1888) comb. nov., Canuleius nattereri (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., C. pedestris (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Dyme acanthonota (Günther, 1930) comb. nov., D. borellii (Giglio-Tos, 1898) comb. nov., D. ramulus (Giglio-Tos, 1898) comb. nov., Exocnophila cornuta (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., E. tuberculata (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Litosermyle inconspicua (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Lit. nana (Shelford, 1913) comb. nov., Lit. riveti (Shelford, 1913) comb. nov., Lit. submutica (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Libethra aculeata (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Libethroidea willemsei (Günther, 1935) comb. nov., Pygirhynchus fortior (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., P. oryx (Westwood, 1859) comb. nov., P. scops (Kaup, 1871) comb. nov., Pseudosermyle meditans (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov., Sermyle aurita (Rehn, 1905) comb. nov., and S. ciliata (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov. Furthermore, Pygirhynchus carioca Piza, 1944 syn. nov. is synonymized under P. fortior comb. nov. We provide a description of the male and egg of Litosermyle Hebard, 1919, previously known only from females, through the illustration and redescription of Lit. inconspicua (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov. Finally, we include Dubiophasma Zompro, 2001, Exocnophila Zompro, 2001, Litosermyle, Ocnophila and Parocnophila Zompro, 1998 in Oreophoetini.

Xenicola brauni sp. n., a new katydid species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae:Phaneropterinae) from the Atlantic Forest, southeastern Brazil.

A new species of Xenicola Uvarov, 1940 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), X. brauni sp. n., is described from the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Morphological comparisons with all other known species of Xenicola are presented and discussed. This is the first record of Xenicola in southeastern Brazil, and is also the northernmost record of the genus within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.